The volunteer award ceremony took place at the National Centre RUSSIA

The traditional volunteer appreciation ceremony was held at the National Centre RUSSIA on April 25. The meeting was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. As part of the ceremony, active representatives of the volunteer movement, who participated in the volunteer program of the National Centre RUSSIA from February 5 to April 20, 2025, were awarded. Deserved awards were given to volunteers who contributed to the organization of expositions, workshops, educational programs, and other events and projects of the National Centre RUSSIA.

"Thank you very much. It is the volunteers who create the homely atmosphere at the National Centre RUSSIA. Every day they help the guests. I am very pleased that we have volunteers of different ages. Young people have the opportunity to learn many skills," said the Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, Natalia Virtuozova, as she greeted the volunteers.

Before the ceremony, an educational meeting on the formats of volunteering and civic activity was held for all participants. As Ilya Gusev, executive director of the ANO "Union of Volunteers" and press secretary of the Moscow regional branch of the All-Russian public movement "Volunteer Victory," mentioned, volunteering and patriotism are inseparable.

"It is symbolic that we gathered at the National Centre RUSSIA on the eve of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Patriotism and volunteerism are interconnected. Every volunteer, including those who are here, is a patriot. For me, volunteering is something personal; it comes from family. When I communicate with veterans of the Great Patriotic War, I understand how important these people are and how crucial it is to help them," emphasized Ilya Gusev.

According to the First Deputy Chairman of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation Commission on Volunteering and Youth Policy, Yelena Rodionova, the National Centre RUSSIA has a special mission in volunteer activities.

"We have a special mission in the heart of Russia, at the National Centre RUSSIA. Being a volunteer here is both responsible and honorable. I am sure that those who have worked here once carry this light of kindness, good deeds, and love for Russia. This is my fourth time at the National Centre, and every time I am amazed by the magnificence of what is happening here and the wonderful people who create. We are all on the threshold of a unique event — the 80th anniversary of Victory. This is work with historical memory, popularizing complex topics, especially among teenagers," said Yelena Rodionova.

During the meeting, all attendees participated in the "#LetterToAHero" campaign, which was initiated by the volunteers of the National Centre RUSSIA in collaboration with the festival "RT. Doc: The Time of Our Heroes". As part of the campaign, the organizers received over one and a half thousand letters that RT war correspondents will deliver to soldiers on the front line.

The National Centre RUSSIA conducts extensive collaborative work with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. Moscow universities participate in volunteer activities at the National Centre RUSSIA, noted Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, during the ceremony.

"It is very pleasing that today our students who help our National Centre RUSSIA organize and support events, making them even more heartfelt, are participating in the ceremony. We express tremendous gratitude to the National Centre RUSSIA for the opportunity to take even more pride in our country," emphasized Olga Petrova.

According to Anastasia Zvyagina, Deputy Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, holding events in a space like the National Centre requires a lot of joint efforts.

"Volunteers are people with big hearts. It is you who help conduct expositions, cultural and educational events in the space of the National Centre. By the end of 2025, we will open five regional branches of the National Centre RUSSIA. Our team will be expanding. We invite everyone interested to join us and become volunteers of the branches," noted Anastasia Zvyagina.

A total of 270 volunteers participated in the volunteer program during the reporting period, of which 243 represented volunteer communities from nine universities in the capital. Work with the capital's universities is conducted in close collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. Seventy volunteers were selected for recognition.

The National Centre RUSSIA continues to develop the volunteer movement and plans to attract even more volunteers to its programs and projects.